Discussion Questions

Paul commands the Romans to “mark those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the teaching that you have learned and avoid them”; what specific behaviors would qualify as “divisions and offenses” in a real congregation, and how does that command challenge modern instincts to keep everyone included at almost any cost? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What actions in a real church would count as causing “divisions and offenses,” and how does Paul’s command to avoid those people go against our desire to include everyone no matter what?

The lesson insists “causing division in the church is no minor sin,” tying it to Galatians (“will not inherit the kingdom of God”) and Titus (“reject a divisive man after a first and second warning”); how do you process the severity of those warnings, and what would have to change in many churches today for them to be taken “extremely seriously” the way Ignatius and Irenaeus describe? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Why do you think the Bible gives such strong warnings about causing division in the church, and what would need to change in churches today for leaders and members to take those warnings seriously?

Irenaeus accuses schism-makers of being “destitute of the love of God” and motivated by “their own special advantage,” sometimes for “trifling reasons”; what are “trifling reasons” that still fracture Christians now, and how can a group honestly test whether its own convictions are love-driven or advantage-driven? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What “small” or petty issues still split Christians today, and how can a church check whether its stance is truly based on love or on self-interest?

The transcript identifies the Judaizers as likely divisive agents at Rome and quotes “the Council of Jerusalem” as already settling salvation not being “through the law”; what does this reveal about God’s intention to save Jew and Gentile on the same basis, and how does that collide with Christian tendencies to add cultural or behavioral “yokes” as markers of the “real” people of God? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the Council of Jerusalem show about God saving Jews and Gentiles the same way, and how do Christians today still add extra cultural rules to decide who the “real” people of God are?

Peter’s words at Jerusalem emphasize God “cleansing their hearts by faith” and saving “through the grace of the Lord Jesus”; in practical terms, what kinds of modern “law” or boundary-markers function like a yoke “neither our fathers nor we were able to bear,” and why do believers still find those yokes emotionally satisfying or spiritually reassuring? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What modern rules or “boundary lines” act like heavy burdens people can’t really carry, and why do those burdens still make believers feel safer or more spiritual?

Paul says false teachers “do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly,” using “good words and fair speeches” to deceive “the simple”; what do you think “serving the belly” looks like in religious leadership (then and now), and how can a church distinguish persuasive charisma from spiritual integrity without becoming cynical? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What might it look like for a religious leader to “serve their own belly” instead of Jesus, and how can a church tell the difference between charming speech and true character without becoming cynical?

The lesson notes that the “simple” are not evil but “gullible”; what forms of gullibility are common among sincere Christians today (news cycles, celebrity teachers, partisan identities, “hot takes”), and what practices could help a church grow discernment without losing the “harmless as doves” posture? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In what ways are sincere Christians often too quick to believe things today (like viral news, celebrity teachers, politics, or “hot takes”), and what habits can help a church grow better judgment while staying gentle?

Chrysostom observes Paul praises the Romans not for “understanding” but for “obedience,” and then gently rebukes them for not being wise; how does that reorder common evangelical priorities that often prize correct views and Bible knowledge, and what would it look like to become known (even publicly) for obedience rather than theological sophistication? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does praising “obedience” more than “understanding” challenge churches that focus on being right and knowing a lot, and what would it look like to be known for obedience instead of sounding smart?

Origen says wisdom in the good comes from being “thoroughly grounded in the Scriptures,” warning of the “peril” of neglecting training; based on the lesson’s suggestion that some Romans weren’t trained, what kind of Scripture formation would actually produce people who can spot flattering deception—and what might your group need to stop doing (or start doing) to get there? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What kind of Bible training would actually help people spot smooth, flattering lies, and what should your group stop doing or start doing to build that kind of strength?

Paul calls God “the God of peace” while promising He will “bruise Satan under your feet shortly,” applying it to victory over false teachers and disunity; how does God’s “peace” relate to the hard actions of marking, avoiding, rejecting, and silencing divisive people, and what would it mean for a church to expect real spiritual authority (“tread on serpents and scorpions”) rather than merely managing conflict? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How can God be called “the God of peace” while the church is told to avoid, reject, or silence divisive people, and what would it look like to expect real spiritual power against evil instead of just trying to manage conflict?